Keeping Watch Through the Night
by Darkhymns
Summary: Lately, there's been a weird person invading people's rooms at the inns. If Lloyd is going to protect Colette on her journey, the least he could do is forget about sleep and stay by her side! [Lloyd/Colette]


**For Colloyd Week, Day 4: Protection. Based off the events in the game where some weird guy (Yuan) keeps sneaking into people's room at night, because that's not terrifying!**

* * *

They had thought there was safety in the inns.

"Whoa! Who's there?"

Before Lloyd could even get out of the bed, the shadowy figure had left his room, seemingly vanishing into the dark. Still, he unsheathed one of his swords, bare feet stumbling on the chill floorboards, but there was no one anymore to fight against. He shivered a little, the cold nights of Triet easily passing through the walls. Yeah, that's what he told himself.

"Lloyd! What happened?"

He recognized the soft footsteps before Colette opened the door. She rushed over to his side, eyes bright in the dark. "You didn't see him out there?" he asked quickly.

"Who? I'm sorry…"

Okay, he was still a bit shaky. He shook his head, finally loosening his grip on his weapon. He didn't feel anything else in the room besides Colette's warm presence. "There was… this weird guy that I saw standing over my bed earlier! Like, really weird.."

The last time they had stayed in Triet, nothing of the sort happened. Their journey had gone on a few detours here and there – the Professor had _insisted _on recovering some lost relics from the Triet Ruins that they had missed when going there for the first time, and not even the stubborn Kratos could sway her. The inn was a familiar place, its clay-crafted structure keeping guests cool during the hot days, with blankets making up for the drafty nights. And also apparently, easy enough for intruders to come and go when they wanted.

Colette looked frightened herself (not that he was scared really!) and moved closer to him, eyes scanning over him. "Did he hurt you? I'm sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen.."

"Colette, why are you apologizing? I'm fine anyway." Then he grinned for her, already feeling calmer. "That's why I wear my swords to bed! If he ever comes by again, I'll make sure to hit him this time."

She looked thoroughly impressed by that, seeing the weapons strapped to his belts. "Oh! Don't they get in the way when you sleep?"

"Eh, a little bit. But that Kratos always wears his… and he doesn't seem bothered by it."

"I see! That's really great that Mr. Kratos is inspiring you."

"W-what? He's not! I'm just… it makes more sense for me to do it! I have two weapons so I have twice the chance!" Much of his pride deflated immediately. He didn't want to copy that show-off, Kratos…

Colette's giggle was light, but it strangely served to make him feel better instead of more embarrassed. "Yeah, I understand now. It's really smart! Maybe I should do that, too.."

"Oh yeah!" Lloyd's head was soon brimming with ideas. "With your chakrams, you'd also have twice the chance to hit him! But also from far away, too! I wonder if I could do that…" He yawned just then. Ah man, he was sleepy though.

"Maybe I'll start bringing them to bed tonight-" Colette stopped herself, noticing his yawn. "Oh, right. It's late, isn't it?"

"Mm, not that tired," he lied. The memory of the weird guy was faint now, and he _did _have his weapons with him! He noticed just then Colette was still fully dressed in her overcoat, despite the late hour. "You've been sleeping okay?"

She nodded, but she didn't expand on it more, her own eyes still scanning the room around them. The windows weren't as shut as they could be, and the door had been unlocked. "Maybe someone should be here for you? In case whatever weird guy comes by again…"

"Nah, it's okay! I just got caught off guard like once!" Crap, if Kratos knew about this… he didn't need that guy lecturing him again! "So uh, maybe don't tell anyone?"

Colette seemed to be conflicted. "I could stay? So I can watch out for you!"

"But I'm supposed to be watching out for you!"

"Oh, right. Then we can both do that!"

"But that's not…" Lloyd sighed. Some protector he was turning out to be. "I'll be okay now. Really! Just… thanks for coming by so fast, Colette. Actually, how did you hear me?"

"Hm?"

"Isn't your room all the way upstairs?" His own was on the bottom floor, probably why whatever weird guy that was here had got to him easily.

"Oh! Well, I was… just getting some water from the kitchen here! Sorry, is that creepy?"

"Huh? No, no. I mean, there was a random guy in my room just now… That's way creepier."

"Ah, right." Colette pushed down her dress a little, smiling at him. "I guess I should say goodnight now."

"Okay. Get some sleep though!" His chastisement was gentle though, flashing her a grin before she left. "If I need you again, um, I guess I'll yell!"

Another laugh from her. Though she was headed for the door, she still lingered a bit, looking back at him with a soft smile of her own. "I'll come running! See ya in the morning." Then she left.

The room felt a little darker and colder without her nearby. Rubbing his arm to ward away the chill, he went over to a nearby window, defly closing the shutters. That must have been how the guy got in… well, guess he was never opening these again.

He had seen the night sky out, and the streets barren of most people except a stray passerby or two. It must have been really late! Colette usually didn't stay up so much… She was nervous of the journey, wasn't she?

And now she had to be worried for him, too, when he was supposed to handle all those worries _for _her.

With a sigh, he plopped down on the bed, hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. There should have been safety in the inns, and though Lloyd felt he could fight anyone off at this moment, he didn't like that someone had just snuck in like that so easily… and what if not just him? What if that weirdo went for someone else, like Colette?

_I just have to do better then! I'll stay up all night if I have to! Starting tonight… no one will get past me this time! _

Needless to say, Lloyd did not stay up all night, and instead fell asleep just five minutes later.

* * *

No strangers or weirdos, or a combination of weirdo strangers snuck into any rooms for a while after. They had stayed in plenty of inns long after that night, and when they stayed at the Palmacosta inn for not the first time either…

Lloyd awoke to a scream – both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. He wasn't sure if he ever heard that sound from her before.

Before he knew it, he was rushing to Colette's room, finding her sitting up on the bed, face a little pale. She wore just the second layer of her dress, the overcoat having been folded and set on a nearby chair. The party had been so tired that most slept with their traveling clothes on, Lloyd included (with swords and all). "Colette! What happened? Are you okay?" He tried to slow himself down, realizing how tight his voice sounded.

"Lloyd! There was this weird person just now…" She turned towards a nearby window with some confusion, seeing that it was firmly locked. "I- I don't know where he went."

"Did he hurt you?" Lloyd moved close, hands instinctively reaching out to hers. He still felt some shaking through her fingers, seeing a light bruise form on her knuckles. "Argh, that bastard! It must have been that same creep from before!" Were they being followed? There was that assassin back at the Ossa Trail… who was clearly a weirdo herself with those clothes…

"Ah, no. I think he ran away when I hit him."

"Uh." Lloyd looked to her hands again. Oh, so that was why… "With your fist?" Wow.

"I know, it's stupid. I even brought my chakrams with me to sleep, but I didn't use them…"

"Colette, what are you talking about? That was awesome what you did! Man, even I didn't get to.."

And then, the thought pushed through. _Some protector I'm turning out to be. _

"Lloyd?" Colette tightened her fingers around his. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

He shook his head. "Gah, don't… don't say that." With newly found resolve, Lloyd let go of her hands, but only to go check out the room a bit more. All the windows were fastened shut, and he saw no shadows hiding behind the night stands or curtains. He even checked out the dresser, which would have been the perfect hiding spot for a creep. But no one there either. Whoever it had been really had just disappeared.

"Damn, where did this guy go? And we're on the second floor too!" He had seen no one out in the hallway, unless this person jumped out the closed window… He didn't get it at all.

"If he's not here though, then, that means everything is okay now, isn't it?" Colette said hopefully.

"But what if…" Lloyd still felt uneasy. He shook his head, then reached for a chair by a small breakfast table. He brought it to the side of her bed. "That's it. From now on, you don't have to worry about weird intruders anymore!" He said the last as he sat down, the furniture creaking just a bit from the added weight, already reaching for her hands.

Colette looked to him very curiously, fingers reflexively tightening over his. She caught on quickly though. "Ah, Lloyd, you don't have to do that."

"I do have to though! That's.. that's why I came with you." He cleared his throat, unsure at the emotion that leaked through his voice suddenly. Well, he had just woken up anyway… "I'll make sure to stay up all night! For real, this time!" He said the last part a little loud, his voice traveling through the stillness of Colette's room. That made him lower his voice. "Er, sorry."

Within the darkness, he heard Colette laugh, her voice so airy and soft. "It's okay… but, weren't you really tired from today?"

Despite the fact that they had traveled a particularly long trek and that Lloyd may have complained about it for half the way, he shook his head. "Nah, I'm already plenty well-rested. See?" He sat up straight, showing just how well-rested he was. Maybe he might have blinked a little rapidly for a moment, trying to feign off sleep… but he was fine!

Colette was looking at him the way she always did, with the utmost belief that he would do what he said. Well, he'd make sure to keep his promise this time. The blankets under her shifted as she moved, trying to get comfortable again after the intruder scare. "Thanks, Lloyd… it does make me feel better having you here with me."

"Heh, I'll be here the other nights too for you if you want!" His head lifted a little at the idea. "I should be doing that anyway! We can start rooming together!" Usually he had to book a room with Kratos and… eh…

Colette smiled wide, looking so happy at the idea. "It can be like a sleepover then!" She gasped slightly. "And we can tell ghost stories!"

"You really like those a lot, don't you?" Lloyd said with a grin, his thumb running over the back of her hand. When they were kids, Colette was always eager to listen to old ghost stories his dad would tell them, and then he would tell her the same, maybe making it more interesting here and there. "Hey, okay, I know one! I heard it from one of the shop owners here… there's supposed to be a haunted room in this inn! And they never rent it out! Ever!"

"Oh wow!" Colette breathed, but still looked excited. "So a ghost lives there… Did they used to be an inn guest?"

"Maybe… no one really knows except the room makes these weird sounds at night. And!" Lloyd exclaimed, already getting pushed on by the story. "It gets really cold when you walk past its door. Also, they say if you touch your bare hand to the doorknob, it'll-"

There was a particularly loud creak of the floorboards – sounding so sharp that it interrupted Lloyd in mid-sentence, making him jump slightly. The floors of this inn creaked all the time – it had been that way since they first came here. But none of that information made its way to Lloyd's head, or Colette, as she jumped with him.

"Whoa! What was-?"

"Ah! Sorry, sorry!"

Somewhere within his brief panic, Lloyd's confusion overwhelmed whatever fear he had felt. "W-why are you sorry?"

Colette turned to face him, hands still clasped with his, her bedcovers now more wrinkled than before from her second scare that night. "…I'm not really sure!"

Maybe on any other occasion, this would frustrate Lloyd a little. Instead, a burst of laughter left his throat, bringing their clasped hands a bit nearer to him during his mirth. "Colette, you.." He lost his breath, chuckles leaving his throat.

"Lloyd! It's – it's not that funny.." Colette pouted. She was leaning slightly towards him, pulled in by Lloyd, hands still connected. "Lloyd…"

"Did.. Hold on a sec…" Lloyd tried to take a breath, chest still shaking with laughter. He laid his elbows on the bed, all while Colette continued to flush and pout. But she never let go of him. "Phew… okay, just.." He was still grinning from ear to ear. "Did you apologize to the weird person that got in your room?"

He already knew the answer before Colette even started talking.

"N-no! I didn't! That.. that would be silly!"

"You did, didn't you? When you hit him! You said you were sorry the _moment _you did that!"

"No!" Colette looked to the side. "Well." Her fingers tapped against his hand. "I guess I might have…"

Lloyd couldn't even be mad. He still felt a little breathless from his laughing. Had he been loud enough for the others to hear him? But the door remained shut, and there were no more creaks occurring, leaving the room silent except for his tired chuckles – soon followed by Colette's own giggles.

"You say it to the monsters we fight off, too! You do!"

"Oh no, you heard me do that?" Colette didn't even try to deny it, still giggling. "It's… I can't help it! I don't do it all the time…"

"You do it all the time, Colette. Just like… _sorry! _Really quick. But you do it plenty! And you even did it for that assassin earlier…

"But I didn't mean for her to fall into that hole…" She was no longer pouting, her cheeks flushed from the strange feeling they shared. "I'm glad she turned out to be okay."

"Alright, but Colette, she's trying to… eh, never mind though." Another trickle of laughter fell from his lips. Already remembering that… "You say it so much."

"Hehe… So-" She stopped, then corrected herself with, "I know."

Finally calming down, Lloyd sat up straighter. "Maybe we, uh, probably shouldn't talk about any more scary stories anyway…" Not if he had gotten scared over a creak. Kratos probably wouldn't have been.

"Hm, but those are fun.. I like when we share stories like that." She tapped methodically against his hand. "I guess this could be another story to share together too!"

"Heh, yeah, guess so. We can talk about it again after we finish the journey!"

"Yeah.."

He sensed something then, a pause in her voice. Lloyd realized he had been tightening his hold on her hand since the scare, then trying to loosen it. "Oh…does it hurt a lot?"

A look of puzzlement crossed her face. "What does?"

"…Your hand?" He looked back down on it, the bruise on her right knuckles still there, blossoming over light skin. "Doesn't it hurt? You must have hit that guy super hard."

"Ah, yeah! It's just a little achey. It's not too bad!"

She had said that fast… but a yawn interrupted his thoughts, and he only nodded. "Okay then.." He rubbed her hand, liking the warmth it provided. Even this inn room was drafty, just like back in Triet. Maybe the ocean nearby made it cooler. "Just tell me if it does."

Her voice was soft, nearly so muted, but the room only held them both, letting any sound from either travel well to the other's ear. "I will."

A stretch of silence hovered between them, one that Lloyd suddenly didn't want to break. Keeping hold of her hands, he kept looking at the bruise there, soft bluish black, matching the shade of his Exsphere. The more he stared at that bruise, the more disturbed he became, when before he had just been laughing and enjoying being here with Colette.

Her fingers rushed against his, sensing his change in mood. "I'm really okay."

He didn't look at her then, slowly realizing something. "But what if you hadn't seen him?"

"Lloyd…"

He shook his head, still staring at their hands; hers so small within his. "I'm not… doing good enough, am I?"

Colette said nothing, probably didn't know what to say. But the soft moment of what he felt before, seeing that hurt on her…

"Kratos has been training me but I keep messing up. I still let myself get taken off guard…. And, it's just also…" He frowned, looking at the bedcovers where Colette's legs were under. "I even thought about… if that guy would sneak up on you like he did with me. And I still just let it happen."

"You didn't though.." she protested, but Lloyd's head was stuck.

"I know I can do better. If I can't protect you or even myself…" What did that make him? He tried to stop himself, yet still… "I… want to be useful to you."

Why did he always make it about himself?

Colette gently slid her hands out of his grasp. This disappointed him a little, but he didn't try to keep her back. He could already tell he was making her uncomfortable. _Maybe if I stayed up earlier… I would've caught that guy… and she wouldn't have had to wake up to that… _

Then those same hands cupped his face.

The touch hadn't really been expected, but he didn't flinch or move away. Lloyd blinked as those hands raised his head, lifting his gaze from the bed to Colette's face. The dark was easier to see through now, her smile gentle and her hair draping her shoulders.

"Lloyd… I was really, really happy that you came to join me on this journey. Even though I left early… I always felt uneasy ever since. And… I don't think I've ever felt safe until you were with me."

They were nice words that Lloyd wanted to believe, but he couldn't help but think her being too kind like always. "You had to go into a Desian base because of me though." Again, he had been caught off guard, and _again _Colette had to be in danger for that…

"Well… I want to protect you too! Is that so bad?"

"It is if you get hurt!" he said suddenly, then winced. "S-sorry. Didn't mean to yell."

She didn't react badly to his outburst. She only moved closer, still so comfortable despite how he was acting. "I don't want you to get hurt either. And I know if things ever get dangerous, you'll always be there for me. I mean…" She looked down. Lloyd felt some of her fingers brush through his hair. "No one else came here for me when I screamed earlier."

He had thought her scream to be loud, tugging at his chest to rush out from his room to her own. But… she was right. No one else came by to check up on Colette. And only Colette came to check on him the last time.

"I still should have… been more aware about things. Like Kratos would say…"

"Mm, I don't want to speak badly of Mr. Kratos but… he didn't come down to protect me like you did. So…"

Lloyd somehow felt stunned at that. "Oh yeah… he didn't!... I should tell him he's doing a bad job."

"Aw, be nice to him!"

"Man, do I gotta?" he laughed. He shifted his head a bit, unconsciously leaning into one of her hands. Oh, she was still holding him…

By then, Colette seemed to realize, sliding her hands away from his face. She clasped them both in front of her atop the sheets. "Um, that was a bit of a strange thing to do, wasn't it?"

"Uh, no! No, don't worry about it." The touch of her fingers on his cheeks still left an electric sensation, the way they held him protectively, securely. "Thanks."

Another yawn went through him, still seated on the chair. Again, he saw her hands on top of the sheets, the bruise still there, still drawing his eye. Even with that injury, she still held him with little hesitance, as if it really didn't…

"Lloyd?"

"Huh?"

"…You blanked out for a little."

"Oh. Um.." He shook his head, both to deny and also to shake away the tired feeling. "I'm alright. Just, thinking…" Another yawn.

Colette tilted her head. "It probably gets uncomfortable sitting that way for so long." In her short pause afterwards, her words felt so quiet, but it stayed lodged in his head, making him wonder. "You'll, uh, hurt your back, maybe."

"Hm… what if I just lean back a little…" He experimented with the chair, immediately tilting it. Colette grabbed hold of his hands to keep him balanced. "Oh, whoa.."

"Lloyd, you need to be careful…" she admonished.

"Yeah, heh, sorry." He tried to hold back his yawn this time, but it came through as a long sigh, which relaxed him a little. That and Colette's hands…

"Maybe if… you wanted to lay down too? You can still watch over me, but it might feel better this way?"

Lloyd could see no fault in that logic. After all, laying down didn't mean he had to sleep. "Yeah, that makes sense. Uh, but where..?"

Colette used her free hand to pat the bed. "It can be like a real sleepover!"

"Hey, yeah! If this bed's big enough…" Even so, mention of a bed was really tempting, though he didn't think too hard as to why. He was already climbing onto it when Colette made room for him, her guiding him with their entwined hands. He laid back on the spare pillow she had, blinking. "This is way softer than my bed!"

"Oh, is it? I think the Professor picked this one out for me."

"I want a comfy bed too… like this one." Another yawn, one he couldn't hold back. "Mine's just okay.."

It was too bad the windows were shut, because they were right next to the ocean. He didn't get to see much of it, only on days when he could leave school a bit early and go by the waves that lined the way to the temple. Colette said she walked that path all the time, but she had never been allowed to go stand by the shore…

"Lloyd?"

The room was dark, but still. It didn't feel like anyone would intrude, though he needed to stay aware, and watchful, and all that stuff that Kratos would tell him. Yet the bed felt nice under his back, and Colette's warmth was nice to feel, too. "Yeah?" he finally answered.

"Is it okay… if I keep holding your hand?"

Lloyd didn't think twice about it. He nodded, sinking further into the pillow. "That's fine… as long as it… doesn't hurt you."

"Not at all."

Her hands were small against his, but they held onto him with a strength that reassured him. He imagined that strength formed into a fist, and couldn't help but laugh a little again. Even with the bruise Colette had, the one that the stranger got must have been way worse.

"Hey, why are you laughing?"

"Heh, nothing, just…" He didn't yawn, but he closed his eyes, only after giving one last look to her. She was still sitting up on the bed, but leaning over him a little. Her cascading hair tickled his face, and her crystal winked from its place within golden bands around her neck. "Just… you're really amazing, Colette."

Something passed over her eyes then, but darkness closed in, peaceful and comforting, as he kept holding tight to her.

* * *

Colette watched as Lloyd slowly, but surely, fell asleep.

Even as he tried to keep talking, laughing with her, their hands still entwined, Lloyd could no longer keep his eyes open. She may have helped that along, when she suggested he lay a heavy head on her bed. Just to be comfortable. He could still be awake and be comfortable… but she knew he wouldn't last long after that.

Colette noticed how lovely Lloyd looked as he slept.

Feeling how close she was to him, she willed herself to move away, just a little. Their hands stayed locked, his grip still fierce in his own. Lloyd snored a little, turning on his side towards her, his swords somehow not getting in the way. Even fully dressed, he could fall asleep right away. And still not let her go. It was nice to watch him, no matter how creepy she knew that to be.

Ever since Lloyd's own stranger sneaked into his room, she had been so worried. She hadn't wanted him on this journey at first because… if something had happened to him, then what would be the point in continuing anymore?

She knew that was awful to think. So many people depended on her, but what had kept her going all these years, what had kept her resolve to go through with the journey instead of running away like she so often dreamt of, was because of Lloyd. Having him living on in a safer world was her hope.

_I want to protect you, too. _She closed her eyes, holding tight to his hand. The hand she could barely even feel now. _I need you safe, Lloyd. _

She wouldn't be sleeping tonight. She hadn't been sleeping since unlocking the last seal. It was perhaps the main reason why she had noticed the stranger in her room, how she could react so fast, despite not seeing his face. And, even if she could sleep… her newly-enhanced hearing wouldn't let her. Just the sharp click of a door closing could be enough to cause her a headache.

But she had heard the soft footsteps of the stranger, as she had heard the frantic ones of Lloyd. His heavy panting as he worried for her, checking her room and her hands, his note of shame in his voice as he revealed a worry that she only wanted to help dissuade. Hearing Lloyd always gave her comfort, no matter how loud or soft his voice could be.

And in a way, so did watching him sleep. Even if that was weird to do. _Then I can watch over you, _she thought. _Then I can protect you. When I become an angel, I hope I can keep doing that… My life might end, but… if my life can become part of the regenerated world, the wind, the earth, the sky… then I can keep protecting you forever. _

But for now, she could protect him while he slept. She was satisfied with that.

The windows stayed shut, the door stayed locked, and her hands stayed clasped in his. Colette would let no strangers disturb Lloyd's rest.


End file.
